


In Vino Veritas

by mikkimouse



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Alcohol, Drunk Barnaby, First Kiss, M/M, Misunderstandings, POV Multiple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-26 14:07:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13237326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikkimouse/pseuds/mikkimouse
Summary: Kotetsu blinked at the position he found himself in, and mentally realigned everything he'd learned about Bunny in the past few months with what he'd learned in the past few minutes.Point one: Bunny was on his lap. Voluntarily.Point two, which was related to point one: Bunny wasstraddlinghim.Point three: Bunny was kissing him.





	In Vino Veritas

**Author's Note:**

> *pokes head in* Hi, new fandom? :-D
> 
> This was written after I'd finished watching season one and was still aggressively in denial about how hard I was going to fall into this pit, as evidenced by the fact that the working title for this fic was "GFDI."
> 
> Now I've come to terms with it. It's good times. Or, you know, "sobbing into my drink over superhero husbands" times, but same difference.
> 
> (If you haven't seen Tiger & Bunny and you 1) like superheroes, 2) like anime, 3) like the idea of a relationship that goes from "rivals to friends to partners to…sobbing in each other’s arms because they can’t go on without each other"—thanks for the description, [paintedrecs](http://paintedrecs.tumblr.com/); I use it EVERY CHANCE I GET—then get thee to Netflix and join me in this pit.)

Kotetsu blinked at the position he found himself in, and mentally realigned everything he'd learned about Bunny in the past few months with what he'd learned in the past few minutes. 

Point one: Bunny was on his lap. Voluntarily. 

Point two, which was related to point one: Bunny was _straddling_ him. 

Point three: Bunny was kissing him. Sure, there had been alcohol involved, but they'd gotten drunk together before and _this_ had never happened.

Kotetsu hadn't kissed another guy since before he and Tomoe had gotten together. And after...well, he hadn't particularly _wanted_ to kiss another guy. Kiss anyone, really.

But apparently Bunny was okay with kissing guys, okay with kissing _him_ , and Kotetsu was a lot more on board with this idea than he'd have thought even just yesterday. 

Huh. So that was a thing, then.

By the time he'd worked through his surprise and sorted how he felt about this turn of events, Bunny had stopped kissing him and was pulling away, his pale cheeks a dull red that didn't have anything to do with the amount of beer they'd been drinking. 

"I—I'm sorry," Bunny said—stammered, really, and that was also new. "I shouldn't have—you don't—I'm sorry—"

He looked like he was about to either faint or jump off Kotetsu and sprint out of the room, and neither of those options were good. 

Kotetsu settled his hands at Bunny's hips, holding him where he was—not hard enough that he couldn't get away if he wanted, but enough that it would be clear Kotetsu didn't mind the current situation. "Did you do it because you wanted to, or because you're drunk?" 

"You're married," Bunny said, like that answered either question. 

That was news to him. "No, I'm not." 

Bunny raised one blond eyebrow at the silver band on Kotetsu's left ring finger. 

Okay, he could understand the confusion there. "Was married," Kotetsu amended. "Past tense. Long story, I'll tell it to you later. You didn't tell me why you kissed me." 

Bunny was gradually turning a darker red. "You don't like men." 

Kotetsu was pretty sure his eyebrows climbed all the way into his hair. "Who told you that?"

"You turn down Fire Emblem all the time," Bunny said. "I thought—" 

Kotetsu rolled his eyes so hard he nearly gave himself a headache. "Remind me to explain to you what 'demisexual' means in the morning, li'l Bunny." 

Bunny glared at him, but it was much less potent than usual. "I know what it means, old man." 

"Uh-huh." Kotetsu rested his head against the back of the couch. "You still haven't answered my question." 

"What question?" 

"Why did you kiss me?" 

Bunny dropped his gaze and turned away so he was glaring at a corner of the couch. "It doesn't matter. You didn't want to. I'm sorry." 

Kotetsu rubbed his thumbs along Bunny's hips. "You know, you like to make a lot of assumptions." 

Bunny blinked and looked down, as though he'd finally noticed the position he was in. Kotetsu waited a moment, tapping his thumbs, and watched the dawning realization on Bunny's face with no small amount of glee. 

"Maybe I should try another question, since you're not very observant today." Kotetsu smirked and tilted his face up in invitation. "Do you want to do it again?" 

Bunny lunged in to kiss him, and this time, Kotetsu was ready to meet him. It had been a long time since he'd done this, a long time since he'd _wanted_ to, and dammit, Kotetsu had forgotten how _good_ it felt. Or maybe that was just Bunny, who kissed with every iota of laser focus he possessed. 

He skimmed his hands up Bunny's back and down again, rucking up his shirt until his fingers brushed warm skin on their next pass. Bunny jerked at the touch and broke the kiss, and Kotetsu had the fleeting thought that he'd ruined it, but then Bunny's fingers were in his hair and his tongue was in his mouth and Kotetsu was _really_ having trouble thinking.

Hell, who needed thinking? He just...wanted. Wanted Bunny, wanted this, wanted more. He'd be perfectly happy if all he did for the rest of his life was sit here and make out with Bunny until they both forgot how to breathe. 

Bunny pulled away with a shaky breath, his green eyes a bit dazed. Kotetsu might have worried that he was starting to regret this, but his hands were still firmly locked in Kotetsu's hair, so that probably wasn't the case. 

Besides, Kotetsu was feeling pretty dazed himself. 

He ran his hands up Bunny's back, tracing his fingers along his backbone, and Bunny leaned forward and thudded his forehead against Kotetsu's shoulder. 

Kotetsu winced, both from the blow to his shoulder and at the thought of how much that had to hurt. "Careful. Don't want to break that big head of yours." 

The only response was a soft snore. 

_What_. 

Kotetsu shook him gently. "Bunny?" No answer. "Barnaby?" 

If Bunny heard him, he was too tired to react, because the soft snores continued to be the only sound he made. 

Kotetsu let his head fall back against the couch, and he groaned. "Can't believe you fell asleep on me. I suppose I ought to go put you in bed, huh?" 

He waited a moment to see if Bunny would respond to that, but no. Not a word. 

It took some doing, but Kotetsu managed to get off the couch and lift Bunny into his arms without waking him. "Oof. You're heavier than you look. What are you made of, bricks? Do you have a metal skeleton you haven't told me about?" 

Bunny's chin dropped to his chest, and his head rested against Kotetsu's shoulder. He didn't seem like he was going to wake up any time soon. 

Kotetsu scoffed. "I have to say it's nice, me carrying you for a change." 

He staggered down the hall—he _was_ still a little tipsy, and Bunny really did feel like he was built from bricks—but fortunately made it to the bedroom without any major incidents. He dropped Bunny into the bed perhaps a _little_ harder than he should've, but considering he'd managed to make it in here without cracking his head on the wall or breaking Bunny's glasses, he'd call it good. 

Speaking of glasses...

Kotetsu gently took them off Bunny's face and set them on the nightstand beside the bed. He'd never slept in glasses, but he imagined it couldn't be comfortable. 

Bunny made a soft noise and burrowed his head into the pillow, curling up into a tight little ball. 

Kotetsu sighed and lay down on the other side of the bed. "Don't think you're getting out of talking about this just because you feel asleep. Or because you look cute when you're asleep." 

Bunny grunted into the pillow. Kotetsu decided to take that as agreement for them to talk in the morning, and as an offer for him to stay the night right here. 

He yawned wide enough that his jaw popped. "Glad we're in agreement. I'm just going to close my eyes for a bit..." 

He dropped off to sleep between one breath and the next.

***

Barnaby woke slowly and regretted every second of it. 

Other people got drunk enough not to remember what they did the night before, but he'd never had that luxury when he overindulged. He remembered everything, or at least remembered enough. 

At the moment, he really, really hoped what he was remembering was only a dream, or else he was going to have a thousand apologies for Kotetsu whenever he saw him again. 

Barnaby sat up, wincing at his headache—it wasn't terrible, but he needed to eat something soon—and cautiously stumbled his way to the bathroom to use the facilities and brush his teeth, so that his mouth no longer felt like something furry had died in it. 

He took two aspirin and had half a glass of water as well, and wondered if the city's villains would take the day off so he could sleep for another few hours. That didn't sound like too much to ask. 

He staggered back to his bed and flopped down on it, burying his face in his pillow. 

Next to him, someone groaned. 

Barnaby sat straight up, heart (and head) pounding. He wasn't alone. How had he not noticed he wasn't alone in the bed? Who the hell had he brought _home_ last night when he'd been drinking with Kotetsu? 

Wait. 

The blurry figure next to him lifted their dark head. "Ah. Bunny. You're awake." 

It _was_ Kotetsu. 

Oh God. That meant it probably hadn't been a dream. He'd... he'd actually _kissed_ Kotetsu. And they were in bed together... had they done more?

Oh hell. There was _one_ thing Barnaby couldn't remember, and that was how he'd gotten into bed. The last thing he remembered with any clarity was climbing into Kotetsu's lap and—

"Breathe, Bunny," Kotetsu said, voice rough with sleep, and he clumsily patted Barnaby's knee. 

Barnaby slapped at the nightstand until he found his glasses and shoved them on. At least he could see now, and it made him feel a little less vulnerable. Not that he could feel any other way when Kotetsu had apparently _slept in his bed_. 

The man in question was still in his street clothes, only one eye peeking up from the pillow he'd been sleeping face-down on. 

"What are you doing in my bed?" Barnaby demanded. 

Kotetsu huffed and shoved his face back in the pillow. "Taking a well-deserved nap after you fell asleep on me." 

Barnaby's face and neck heated, and for once in his life, he struggled for the words. "I... you... I didn't..." 

"You did. You kissed me—you're an excellent kisser, by the way—and then you fell asleep on my shoulder. And so, like the gallant gentleman I am, I carried you to bed so that you could sleep it off." Kotetsu half-turned off the pillow again, and this time, Barnaby saw the edge of a smile. "And then I decided to sleep next to you so you wouldn't avoid me for the next few days." 

Ah. The heat on his face had turned into a furnace. Barnaby was never drinking again. "I wouldn't have avoided you. I don't believe in avoiding responsibility for my actions."

Kotetsu rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his hand. "So, since you aren't avoiding responsibility for your actions, should we talk about last night?" 

Barnaby gritted his teeth and reminded himself that Kotetsu was his partner, and their sponsors would look down on it if Barnaby were the one to strangle him to death. Then again, he had no one to blame but himself for the current situation. 

He really was _never_ drinking again. 

"I'm sorry," Barnaby finally managed. "Even after drinking, there's absolutely no excuse for my behavior."

Kotetsu groaned and dropped his head back into the pillow. " _Why_ do you keep apologizing?" 

"Because I... _assaulted_ you!" Barnaby shouted, and immediately regretted it because it made his head hurt worse. "I just... climbed onto you and _kissed_ you, even though I had no idea if that was something you wanted, and—" 

"I thought the part where I invited you to kiss me _again_ made it pretty clear," Kotetsu said dryly. 

"It doesn't matter. When I first—" 

"You're forgiven, it's fine, now when are you going to tell me what you _meant_ by it?" 

Barnaby clapped his mouth shut and stared down at Kotetsu, who still looked lazy in his posture, but his eyes were hard and mouth was pressed into a thin line. 

He'd seen Kotetsu serious (occasionally) and he'd seen Kotetsu determined (often), but he'd rarely seen Kotetsu angry. And that Kotetsu was angry _at him_ did not make it any better.

"I don't mind that you kissed me," Kotetsu said. "But I'm starting to get annoyed that you won't tell me _why_." 

Barnaby's mind was completely, utterly blank. He knew damn well why he'd done it. At some point during their partnership, Kotetsu had gone from being an annoyance he'd been saddled with to someone he trusted unreservedly. And from there, he'd become someone Barnaby wanted, in every sense of the word. 

However, Barnaby knew well that merely wanting wasn't enough, and Kotetsu had never shown the slightest inclination that he might feel the same way. In fact, before last night, Barnaby would've ventured a guess that he felt the opposite. So he'd kept his distance.

But last night, after too many beers and his inhibitions falling, he'd just... given in. Stupidly. 

And he might have ruined the only relationship in his life worth keeping. 

"Barnaby," Kotetsu said. "Did you kiss me because you wanted to, or because you were drunk?" 

Barnaby winced at the sound of his name. Kotetsu so rarely used it. He _had_ to be angry. 

Barnaby focused on his hands in his lap, twisting his fingers together. A nervous habit. He didn't do it usually, but Kotetsu threw all his "usually" out the window.

"Yes," he finally said. "Both. Because I wanted to, and I was drunk enough not to stop myself." 

Kotetsu frowned. "Why would you stop yourself?" 

Barnaby pinched the bridge of his nose under his glasses. "Because up until last night, I was operating under the assumption that you were a straight, married man with no interest in me beyond the relationship we already have. Which I have now promptly ruined." 

"But I'm not straight," Kotetsu said. "Or married. And my interest in you is no longer purely professional. And you haven't ruined anything." 

Barnaby blinked. "What?" 

"None of your arguments apply," Kotetsu said. "You should probably stop making assumptions about me."

"Oh." 

"So, just to make sure I understand," Kotetsu said, "you _are_ interested in me. As more than a partner. The kiss wasn't just because you were drunk." 

Barnaby felt like his heart was about to beat straight out of his chest. But he'd said he wouldn't avoid responsibility for his actions, and he _wouldn't_. "It wasn't." 

"Good." Kotetsu lay back down on the pillow. "Because I don't do casual." 

"You... don't?" Barnaby said. 

"I don't," Kotetsu repeated. "Demisexual, remember? If I don't have an emotional bond with someone, I'm not interested. Makes casual things kind of difficult." He linked his hands behind his head. "I don't mind that, obviously, but if you're only interested in a casual thing, you need to look somewhere else." 

"I don't like casual," Barnaby said. 

He'd tried it, a few times, but nothing had ever gone anywhere. He could flirt just fine, but once it came to letting people in, he shut down. He still wasn't sure how Kotetsu, of all people, had been the one to worm his way through all of Barnaby's walls and set up camp right beside his heart. 

"Good." Kotetsu stretched. "Then it sounds like we're on the same page. Why don't you lie down? You're making me uncomfortable." 

"You're the one who's just making himself at home in _my bed_ ," Barnaby pointed out.

"It's a comfortable bed."

It was, but that was beside the point. "That's it?" Barnaby asked. "I bare my heart to you, and you just say that you don't do casual?" 

Kotetsu made a noise that Barnaby would have classified as a growl, then threw an arm around Barnaby's waist and dragged him down so they were spooning. Kotetsu pressed his face into the back of Barnaby's neck and tightened his arm against his chest. "How's that?" 

They were pressed together, back to chest, and Barnaby's brain seemed to have shorted out. "It's okay." 

"Okay." Kotetsu snorted, his breath a hot puff along Barnaby's spine. "Well, that's better than 'get off me, old man.'"

"I don't want you to get off me," Barnaby said.

He swore he could feel Kotetsu smile. "Good. I don't have any intention of letting you go, then." 

_Oh_. Barnaby relaxed incrementally. "So you... you might be interested, too?" 

"If I weren't interested, I wouldn't have asked you to kiss me again," Kotetsu said through a yawn. "So yes, I am. Go back to sleep, Bunny." 

Barnaby took off his glasses and set them on the nightstand. "I was intending to. You were the one who wanted to talk." 

"We've talked. Everything's settled. Respect your elders and go back to sleep." 

"If we're dating, I don't think you can play the elder card." 

Kotetsu nipped the back of his neck. "I can play the elder card as long as I'm older than you." 

"You're ridiculous," Barnaby said. 

"And you're the one who's _interested_ in me," Kotetsu said. "What does that say about you?" 

Barnaby groaned. "Nothing good." 

Kotetsu laughed, and it made Barnaby feel warm all over. "Go to sleep." 

Barnaby let himself melt back into Kotetsu, and closed his eyes. 

Maybe drinking wasn't such a bad idea, after all, if this was how he got to wake up.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](https://mad-madam-m.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mad_madam_m)!


End file.
